Perhaps, on some January afternoon in the mid-21st century, LaBell could be standing on the Capitol steps, raising his right hand and solemnly swearing to faithfully execute the office of President of the United States.

LaBell already has his political juices flowing, getting a charge out of his AP United States Government and Politics class at Lenape Valley High School.

“I’ve really always been interested in government and how it works,” said LaBell, a Stanhope resident who is Lenape Valley’s 2014 Scholar Athlete. “The political system, we really got into it when we were in AP Government and Politics. It was just a great class. I learned a lot.”

Could he someday have political office in his future? “Maybe,” he said, “it’s always a thought.”

LaBell is already ‘Mister President’ three times over — president of his local DECA chapter, president of the National Honor Society, president of the student council.

LaBell has already ‘preserved, protected and defended’ defensive backfields as a member of the Lenape Valley football team, and was an All-Herald first-team defender in 2013, after forcing a school-record five fumbles and returning one of them for a

touchdown.

He followed his older brothers, Jimmy and Andrew, into football and wrestling, where he has also stood out for the Patriots. And Dominic LaBell has competed in the 200-, 400- and 800-meter runs for the Lenape Valley track team. He has enjoyed all three sports, but one a bit more than the other two.

“I’d probably have to go with football,” he said. “Football has really always been a passion of mine. ... Football has always been a big part of my life. The competitive team-building that you get out of football, it’s really incredible. Being part of a team with a bunch of guys, everybody putting in their 1/11th effort on the field, it’s really just a great experience.”

When he’s not on the field, the mat or the track, LaBell is usually trying to make a difference in the world beyond sports. “I really like volunteering,” he said, “anything to help out the needy. I’m always raising money for organizations.”

LaBell has been heavily involved with DECA, which used to stand for Distributive Education Clubs of America, “but it really became its own word,” LaBell said, “so now it’s just called DECA.” It helps to prepare high school and college students for careers in marketing, finance and teaching, among other fields.

LaBell says that DECA advisor Robert Nusbaum — who also teaches business at Lenape Valley — is his favorite educator. “We’ve just really grown close over the years,” LaBell said, “not only in the teacher-student relationship, but he’s really been a mentor to me as well.”

LaBell wants to be remembered at Lenape Valley as a well-rounded person. “I’d have to say an all-around student-athlete,” he said. And why would he not? After being a three-sport star and capably handling three different presidencies, it’s easy to understand why he wouldn’t want to be remembered for just one thing or just the other.

He has already been accepted to Cornell, Boston College and Miami (Fla.), and is still waiting to hear from Princeton, Harvard, Brown and Georgetown. “I’ve got a lot of great choices,” he said, “so I‘m really excited.”

Wherever he attends school in the fall, LaBell will miss his familiar surroundings, “the small-town feeling of Lenape Valley,” he said, “where everyone knows each other and everyone knows what’s going on in each other’s business. Sometimes it gets annoying, but I really love the small-town feeling of Lenape Valley. That’s something that you really can’t experience in college.”